New Testament

INTRODUCTION:

INTRODUCTION:

INTRODUCTION:

INTRODUCTION:

            Romans 5:12-21 is by many considered to be the most difficult passage in the book of Romans.  We are only going to look at the introduction to this passage this morning and then we will tackle the rest of it next week.  I believe that the basic truths that Paul wants us to understand are simple and clear and that is what we are going to look at.  I am not going to try and delve into the complexities that the theologians debate, but we will look at what Paul says to us.

SCRIPTURE:

            Last Sunday we briefly looked at a passage of Scripture in regards to baptism.  This morning I would like to look at it a little more in depth and what it has to say with regards to missions, since that is our focus this morning.  Turn in your Bibles to Matthew 28:18-20.  Please follow along as I read these words of Jesus.

     Matthew 28:18-20,

INTRODUCTION:

INTRODUCTION:

            The last four weeks you have been in the book of 1 Peter with Brian, this morning we are going to go back to Romans.  There will be some other opportunities for Brian to finish up his series on 1 Peter.  This morning we are going back to Romans 4 where we left off, we had gone through verse 17. 

INTRODUCTION:

INTRODUCTION:

            In the end of Romans 3 Paul introduced justification by faith in Jesus Christ, or having righteousness credited to our spiritual account by faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Paul teaches that we are justified by faith alone by God’s grace.

INTRODUCTION:

            John MacArthur in the introduction to Romans chapter four in his commentary writes, “If there is any doctrine that the chief enemy of man and of God desires to undercut and distort, it is the doctrine of salvation.  If Satan can cause confusion and error in regard to that doctrine, he has succeeded in keeping men in their sin and under divine judgment and condemnation, which the unredeemed will one day share with Satan and his demonic angels in the eternal torment of hell.”[1]